A redistricting bill was introduced to the Illinois General Assembly by members of the Democratic Party in May 2011. Although Representatives are not required to live within their districts, the new map draws the homes of at least five Republicanincumbents into districts where they will have to run against other Republicans, and others into districts which strongly favor Democrats.

After an amendment which modified the 13th and 15th districts was passed with Republican support,[2][3] the new map was passed by the Illinois House of Representatives on May 30, 2011[4] and the Senate on May 31.[5]GovernorPat Quinn, a Democrat, signed the map into law on June 24. Republican members of the congressional delegation planned to mount a legal challenge.[6]

The 1st district, which has been represented by Democrat Bobby Rush since 1993, had seen a decline in population and so now extends into the Chicago suburbs and rural areas of Will County.[8] Harold Bailey;[9] Raymond Lodato;[9] Rush;[9] Clifford Russell Jr.;[9] Jordan Sims, a political commentator for an online newspaper;[10] and Fred Smith[9] sought the Democratic nomination. Bobby Rush won the primary with over 80% of the vote.

Blue Island mayor Donald Peloquin won the Republican nomination. He defeated Frederick Collins, a police officer who unsuccessfully ran for Cook County Sheriff in 2010,[11] and Jimmy Lee Tillman II.[9]

The 3rd district, which has been represented by Democrat Dan Lipinski since 2005, now extends to Bridgeport, Chicago and Lockport, Will County.[8] Lipinski is seeking re-election. Farah Baqai, a police officer, unsuccessfully challenged Lipinski in the Democratic primary.[19]Insurance executive and health care activist John Atkinson was expected to challenge incumbent Lipinski, and raised over $535,000 in the first quarter of 2011,[20] but no longer lives in Lipinski's district. Atkinson had considered instead running in the 11th district,[8][21] but suspended his campaign on June 14, 2011.[22]

The 4th district, which has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutiérrez since 1993, was extended to incorporate Gutiérrez's new home in Portage Park.[8] Gutiérrez secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Jorge Zavala, who has taught with the City Colleges of Chicago and ran as a write-in candidate since he had been removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012.[23][24]

Héctor Concepción, a former director of the Puerto Ricanchamber of commerce, had been removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012,[23][25] but has since refiled and is challenging Gutiérrez as the Republican nominee in the general election.[26]

The 7th district, which has been represented by Democrat Danny K. Davis since 1997, was redrawn to include parts of LaGrange Park and Westchester. Davis will seek re-election. Jacques A. Conway, a pastor and retired police officer, unsuccessfully challenged Davis in the Democratic primary.[19]

Republican Joe Walsh, who was first elected to represent the 8th district in 2010, ran for re-election despite no longer living within the redrawn boundaries of the district. Walsh had initially decided to run in the redrawn 14th district.[37] Walsh defeated write-in candidate Robert Canfield, a business owner who had planned to challenge him in the Republican primary before being removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections.[38] Rich Evans, an accountant, had planned to challenge Walsh in the Republican primary,[39] but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012.[38]State representativeDavid Harris;[40] Craig Johnson, the mayor of Elk Grove Village;[41] businessman Andrew Palomo[39][42] and DuPage County Superintendent of Education Darlene Ruscitti[43] did not run.

Walsh and Duckworth scheduled four debates. The first was held on May 12, 2012 on CLTV, the second on September 14 in West Dundee at Heritage Fest, the third on October 9 on WCPT and WIND at the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, open to 8th district residents. The fourth was held on October 18 on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight.[48]

Democrat Jan Schakowsky, who has represented the 9th district since 1999, will seek re-election.[51] Simon Ribeiro, a high school teacher who unsuccessfully ran as the Green Party nominee in 2010, unsuccessfully challenged Schakowsky in the Democratic primary.[52]

Timothy Wolfe, an accountant, sought and received the Republican nomination unopposed.[51]Robert Dold, who was first elected to represent the 10th district in 2010, lives in the new 9th district,[8] but will seek re-election in the 10th.[53] Wolfe earned the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune.[54]

Robert Dold, who was first elected to represent the 10th district in 2010, will seek re-election.[53] Dold no longer lives in the redrawn district,[8] but will move into the district if he wins re-election.[53]

The newly drawn 11th district is the successor to the old 13th District, which has been represented by Republican Judy Biggert since 1999. While the reconfigured district contains half of Biggert's former territory, it was made significantly more Democratic than before. It now includes the Democratic-leaning areas of Joliet and Aurora. Biggert's home in Hinsdale was drawn into the 5th District, but Biggert is seeking reelection in this district.[8]

Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham and Diane Harris, a notary public, had planned to run but were removed from the ballot by the Illinois State Board of Elections in February 2012.[66] Chris Balkema, a member of the Grundy County Board;[67] and Aurora alderman Richard Irvin[68] both considered seeking the Republican nomination; however, both later announced they would not run. State senatorChris Lauzen, who had considered seeking the Republican nomination in the 11th district,[69] instead ran for Kane County Board Chairman.[70] Biggert won the primary against nominal write-in opposition from Harris.

Jason Plummer won the Republican nomination. He was the 2010 nominee for Lieutenant Governor.[88] Plummer defeated Rodger Cook, a former mayor of Belleville,[76][89] and Theresa Kormos, a nurse from O'Fallon and unsuccessful Republican primary candidate for the 12th district in 2010.[90] Teri Newman, a businesswoman from Highland who unsuccessfully challenged Costello as the Republican nominee in 2010, had planned to run again[91] but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012.[92] State representative Mike Bost did not seek the Republican nomination.[93]

Paula Bradshaw, a registered nurse, is running as the Green Party nominee.[94] Retha Daugherty, a small-business owner and resident of Carbondale, had announced her intentions to be on the ballot as an Independent candidate,[95] but had to drop her bid in April 2012 because of a change in state election law.[96]

The new 13th is the successor to the old 15th District, represented by Republican Tim Johnson since 2001. Johnson defeated Michael Firsching, a veterinarian,[99] and Frank Metzger, a retired ironworker,[100] in the Republican primary. In April 2012, however, Johnson chose to retire rather than seek re-election.[101][102] A convention was held on May 19, 2012, to choose a replacement nominee. The four candidates chosen by local Republican officials that vied for the chance to replace Johnson on the ballot were: Jerry Clarke, chief of staff to fellow U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren and Johnson's former chief of staff; Rodney L. Davis, an aide to fellow U.S. Representative John Shimkus; Erika Harold, a lawyer and winner of Miss America in 2003; and Kathy Wassink, a businesswoman. Becky Doyle, a former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture; Firsching; Metzger; and Samuel Spradlin, a truck driver, were interviewed but not chosen for the position.[103] The 14 GOP county chairmen in the district unanimously selected Davis as the party nominee.[104]

The redrawn 14th district will include McHenry County and parts of DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and Will counties.[113] Republican Randy Hultgren, who was first elected to represent the 14th district in 2010, will run for re-election.[114] Fellow Republican Joe Walsh, who was first elected to represent the 8th district in 2010 and had planned to challenge Hultgren in the Republican primary, will instead seek re-election in the redrawn 8th district.[37]

In redistricting, the 16th district was moved south to incorporate Livingston and Iroquois Counties and parts of Ford County.[121] Republican U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger, who has represented the 11th district since January 2011,[16] and Don Manzullo, who has represented the 16th district since 1993,[122] sought re-election in the new 16th district. Kinzinger defeated Manzullo in a contentious primary.[123] Frank Gambino, the majority leader of the Winnebago County Board, had been expected to form an exploratory committee with the aim of seeking the Republican nomination;[124] however, he announced in September 2011 that he would instead run for the Illinois Senate.[125]

Wanda Rohl, a social worker, was chosen by the district Democratic leaders on May 8, 2012 to run as the party nominee against Kinzinger.[126]

Bronco Bojovic, a businessman, had planned to run as an Independent candidate but dropped out of the race in February 2012.[127][128]

Republican Aaron Schock, who has represented the 18th district since 2009, ran for and won re-election. The district is one of two which were expected to remain strongly favorable to Republicans.[28] Peoria's more Democratic southern portion was shifted to the 17th District, and was replaced by the heavily Republican Bloomington-Normal and Quincy areas.[131] Darrel Miller, a farmer, had planned to challenge Schock in the Republican primary,[147] but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012.[148]

Steve Waterworth, a farmer and former master sergeant in the Air Force and Air National Guard; and 28-year-old Matthew Woodmancy [2] Restaurant manager from Pekin sought the Democratic nomination.[147] Waterworth won the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012, and faced Schock in the general election.[149]

^Jesse Jackson, Jr. resigned his seat in the 112th Congress on November 21, 2012, and also resigned his seat in the 113th Congress on the same day. As a result, no one was seated in the 113th Congress for the 2nd congressional District and a Special Election was called for April, 2013, to fill the vacancy.